Secrets Revealed
by Code LJ
Summary: As a former MI-6 agent assigned to GI Joe, Lady Jaye hopes that her past will not interfere with her loyalties to her new team.
1. Chapter 1

_Disclaimer: I do not own any of these characters and they have manipulated themselves so that they can be worked into the story._

_Author's Note: Lady Jaye is the code name of a MI-6 agent assigned to work with an international group based in the United States called GI Joe. Personnel of this top secret military organization were hand selected from the world's finest military and government workers. While most of the organization is American on the base, it employs agents based all over the world. The mission of GI Joe is to thwart terrorism and its attacks on countries that are members of the United Nations, to which it reports._

* * *

><p>It had been an intense mission. She massaged the back of her neck as the transport landed back at the base. All she wanted was a shower and sleep, but knew the debriefing would take precedent over her own needs. Sighing, she gathered her things and followed her teammates off the plane.<p>

"You doing ok?" murmured Shipwreck, a look of sympathy on his face as he looked at the pale, drawn woman. "If you want, I can fill in Duke…"

"No," she interrupted. "I'm the team leader, I need to do it. Thanks anyways, Shipwreck," she said, giving him a tired smile. She hated to go in there and basically tell Duke their mission was a failure, but what else could she say? It was the truth. They had been sent on an extraction, but the intell they received had been false. Way beyond false, she thought angrily. Whoever had gathered it should have his or her head rolling on the floor. It had not only jeopardized the mission, but almost cost the lives of her teammates and herself. It had definitely caused the death of the CIA agent they were supposed to rescue. Being the leader, she felt the safety of the others was her responsibility, and having to cover someone else's ass so that her team could escape infuriated her.

Gone was the idea of the shower. She was ready to tell Duke exactly what she thought of the mission! She stormed into the building and made a beeline for his office. Those that passed her in the hallway left her alone. They had seen this angry look before and no one wanted to get in the way of those flashing green eyes, knowing that not only would she curse them out in several languages, but they may also find themselves on their back as she passed them by. As it was, she was muttering in Sanskrit, of all things, and cursed everyone and everything that had gone wrong. By the time she reached Duke's office, she had found her focus a little easier, having vented, so that she could speak to her CO with a clear head.

She found the door open and Duke seated at his desk, talking with Flint. She narrowed her eyes at what she thought of as an intrusion to her debriefing. While the warrant officer was second in command at the base, she did not want to put up with his arrogant attitude nor his smart remarks on what she had to report.

She knocked on the open door and both men looked her way.

"Lady Jaye," acknowledged Duke, his tone serious. "I take it you have something to report."

"Yes, sir," replied Jaye, flicking a glance toward Flint. "If you don't mind…" she hinted.

He settled back more in his chair, not looking like he got what she was saying. She sighed and looked at Duke for help.

Duke tried to hide his smile, but was unsuccessful. "Flint, if you'll excuse us," he said apologetically. He could feel the tension between the two. While Jaye was very focused and dedicated in what she did, Flint was more cocky and arrogant in his abilities, which he knew infuriated his covert ops specialist. That, and Flint still held the belief that women should not be on the front lines in battle. This attitude did not endear him too well with the three women who were his specialists in GI Joe.

Flint raised an eyebrow, but got the message clearly. Getting up, he left the room without a word, shutting the door behind him. He didn't know what he did to get under Lady Jaye's skin, but having heard how botched the mission had been from the early reports Duke had received, he didn't want to be present to hear from Lady Jaye what had happened. While she was great at what she did, her temper had become legendary on base. When her green eyes were flashing, all the men knew to steer clear of her!

As soon as the door closed, Jaye turned to Duke. "I want to know who the source of the intell was! If I get my hands on him…." she growled, and Duke could only imagine what she might do.

"Jaye, what happened? I send you guys on a simple extraction and it gets blown to hell!"

"That's what I'd like to know! From the time we got there, everything went wrong!" She paced as she angrily spat out the words, unable to sit still. "They _knew_ we were coming – there's no other way! Everything we were told was wrong and it led us from one trap into another. I almost had men _die_ out there due to the incompetence!"

She whirled around and faced him. "Either we have an idiot on our hand, or a traitor. I want to know _who_ it was. I will take care of it, I swear I will!" she growled.

Duke held up his hand. "Jaye, don't take it too far. Discipline is my area, remember?" he said, reprimanding her.

Jaye sighed and sat down hard on the chair, head in her hands. She looked up at Duke, teary-eyed. "It was awful," she confessed, her voice barely audible. "I don't think I've had a harder time than we did with this one. I almost lost everyone, including myself. It's not that I'm not willing to die for my country," she said hoarsely, "but for something stupid….it's not worth it! Just tell me who it was, Duke, please. We have a big problem. Let me help get rid of it."

Duke looked at her thoughtfully. "The intell came from one of our outside sources. Someone who's been pretty reliable with us before so either he was fed the wrong information, or he turned on us. It's not someone inside the Joe base….I think," he sighed, running a hand through his blonde hair. "Honestly, it could have been fouled up a little along the way, starting from the intell up to the team members at the time of the mission."

"Someone had to feed them the information. They knew our every move, our every safe haven. They knew who _I_ was. They shouldn't have known that," she whispered hoarsely, sounding defeated. "Our cover was definitely blown by someone."

Duke got up and put a hand on Jaye's shoulder. "Stop beating yourself up over it. We'll find the leak, I promise. Get yourself some rest and take some R&R tomorrow." At her protest, he held his hand up. "That's an order, soldier. Get your head together by taking some time off tomorrow. I want it fresh since it seems I'm going to need your help catching a traitor."


	2. Chapter 2

_Later That Day_….

"Did you leave us any hot water, Ali?" Cover Girl gently teased Jaye as she emerged from her bedroom, her head wrapped in a towel, her body in a fluffy yellow robe.

Jaye made a face at her roommate. "You're one to talk, Courtney. Every time you have a date, we lose hot water for a week!"

She plopped down on the sofa and looked at the TV. "Anything good on?"

"No," sighed Courtney. "You'd think they'd at least supply cable or satellite for us, but no," she sighed. "Want to watch a movie instead?" she asked, eyeing the girls' DVD collection.

"Actually, I was thinking about getting away tonight. Duke gave me tomorrow off to regroup, so I thought I might go into town and do some shopping."

"Ah, damage the old credit card? Sounds like fun. Wish I could join you," sighed Cover Girl, "but I'm on duty tomorrow. Maybe next time?"

Jaye smiled at her roommate and got up to get dressed. She decided to throw some overnight things in her duffel and make an event of it – massage, shopping, nice hotel….something she felt could help her relax and get her focus back.

Throwing on jeans and a girly white t-shirt, she grabbed her leather jacket and keys. Courtney grinned when she saw her. "Ah, the Duc look, huh? Must be needing some speed tonight," she observed. "Now I really wish I was going with you. When are you going to let me take a spin on your bike?"

Jaye grinned. "When you can go a week without crashing something, we'll talk."

Cover Girl frowned. "Look, it's not my fault that every time I get something fixed, we have some sort of stupid battle that ruins it."

"Honey, I was talking about your driving record, but yeah, your record with equipment equals that of how good you are at repairing it!" Jaye teased. "I'll see you tomorrow night, ok? If Shana's off as well, maybe we'll do a pizza and movie night!"

She threw her duffel over her shoulder, called a goodbye, and headed to the garage where the Joes kept their private vehicles. She took the cover off her Ducati and stroked it. She loved the feel of it under her as she sped down the road. Straddling the bike, she murmured a few words in Gaelic to it, and it immediately started. One of the advantages of having an extended family who were in the industry meant she had plenty of prototypes at her fingertips. Well, did have, she corrected herself. Ever since her uncle had taken her family's business and supported Cobra, the anti-terrorist organization that was the nemesis of GI Joe, she had no more access to the cool gadgets she once had. She had worked for British Intelligence, MI-6, at the time of the betrayal and had been so angry that when she had been offered the opportunity to join GI Joe, she had immediately taken it.

She shrugged off the retrospect and concentrated on the feel of the bike under her, letting it lead her into nearby northern Virginia, where she had booked at a room at one of the nicer hotels in Old Town Alexandria. She planned on spending tomorrow shopping along the trendy side of the river, relaxing and enjoying the atmosphere. Courtney had introduced her to this place several months ago and Jaye liked to visit when she could get time off.


	3. Chapter 3

Pulling into the Lorien Hotel and Spa, Jaye felt more relaxed as she anticipated the massage she had already booked. There were advantages to having been born into a wealthy family, she thought with a smile. Many of her teammates had no clue what kind of atmosphere she had grown up in, and she made sure many would never find out. Only her two closest friends guessed at it, and only because they came in regularly to borrow clothes from the back of her closet!

After checking in and melting under the masseuse's touch, she decided to check out some of the neighborhood's night life. Many bars and restaurants were in walking distance of her hotel, and she set out to explore.

It didn't take long to find what she was looking for. The small restaurant had an inviting look and interesting menu selections. She went in and sat at a table for two. As she looked over the menu, she heard a cough and looked up. She was shocked to see Flint standing next to her table, looking just as surprised as she felt.

"Um, hi," she managed to say. What was he doing here? "Did Duke send you to find me? He could've just called," she said, frowning, taking out her cell phone to check for any messages.

"No," Flint answered quickly. "I actually had some time off and this is a place I like to frequent when I can. Have you been here before?" As she shook her head, he leaned over and pointed to a few choices on the menu. "These are really good, the specialty of the house, really. Definitely worth looking into….if you like that kind of thing," he added quickly.

She felt like a heel with him looming above her. He was the last person she wanted to see, but she found herself inviting him to join her. Surprised, he accepted and took a seat. Immediately, the waiter brought another menu.

Dinner was enjoyable and Jaye found herself entertained with the conversations they had. She was surprised to find out that he was from Kansas, but had studied at Oxford as a Rhodes Scholar, in English Literature, no less!

"We could've been neighbors," she laughed. "I was at Trinity, but that was probably after you left. I remember hearing stories from my cousin about Oxford…" she trailed off, smiling at him. "Not that I should repeat them, mind you! Not for delicate ears," she teased.

He laughed. "You grew up in Scotland, right? That must've been interesting. Don't they have that whole highland, lowland thing?"

She grinned. "Yeah, but don't ever say that there or you might find yourself thrown in the dungeon of one of the ancient castles, or tossed in a loch. There is a definite difference between the two. I also spent some summers with my mother's family in the States, so I got to know this country as well. Never made it to Kansas, though. Maybe I was afraid that I might be like Dorothy and get carried off to Oz," she said in a slightly flirtatious tone.

Too soon the check came and Flint grabbed it before Jaye could place her hand on it. "You can get it next time," he smiled, and Jaye found herself looking forward to that next time.

As they left the restaurant, he asked where she was staying. Jaye hesitated, not sure how he was going to take it, but told him the name of her hotel. He gave a low whistle. "Like to live large, don't you? Afraid my government paycheck wouldn't spring for that. I'm at the Best Western down the street."

She shrugged it off. "I like to treat myself every once in awhile."

They walked in no particular direction and soon found themselves standing at the river, looking out at the water. Neither one wanted to break the spell that had woven around them tonight.

Jaye looked at Flint. "It's been really nice tonight. I'm glad I ran into you, Flint."

He smiled at her. "I feel the same – and it's Dashiell, or Dash, since we're not on base. Funny how we both ended up here tonight, Jaye."

"If you're Dash, then I'm Alison, or Ali," she smiled back at him. "What a gorgeous night! I'm too keyed up to go to bed just yet," she stated, giving him a sideways glance.

He wasn't sure how to interpret it. "Want to check out some of the nightlife then?"

She smiled, glad he could read her hint. "Why not?" she laughed. "We're only 'normal' for so long before we have to return back to reality!"


	4. Chapter 4

They kept walking and found a bar that had a live band playing. Enjoying the music, Jaye grabbed Flint's hand and dragged him over to the area where some of the other couples were dancing to the slow song. He protested at first. She leaned over and whispered in his ear, "Come on, all you have to do is sway back and forth, switching your weight from one foot to the next. How hard can that be?"

He wasn't sure what it was, but he found himself holding her, dancing slowly to the ballad the band was playing. How did I get here? he wondered. He was not a dancer and had no rhythm, he knew, but with her, it didn't seem so awkward, so hard.

The band switched to a faster paced song and he tried to pull away. Jaye laughed. She wouldn't have any of that and encouraged him to move with her. "Nobody's watching," she chuckled in his ear, "they're either too drunk or too involved. Just relax and enjoy! Let the beat move your hips," she encouraged, placing her hands on his waist and moving him back and forth with her. She was amused at his awkwardness and was enjoying teaching him to relax and let go. While he seemed so arrogant and sure of himself on base, he was out of his element here and she enjoyed having the upper hand. Actually, she reasoned to herself, it's more than that. He's letting himself relax. The attitude he usually had with the women, especially her, on base was gone. She hoped she'd see this side of Dash "Flint" Faireborn more often!

They left the bar a little later, laughing and talking about dancing and the band. She realized they were holding hands as they walked back to her hotel. He had insisted on dropping her off first before he headed back to his hotel. Ok, so he can be a gentleman, her slightly fuzzy mind reasoned.

"Why don't you come on in and I'll call you a cab or something?" asked Jaye when they reached the lobby. "It's too late for you to be walking by yourself…even if you are a big, bad military man," she teased, squeezing his arm.

Flint gave a lopsided smile. "I'd say no, but to tell you the truth, I am feeling a bit tired, so maybe I'll take you up on that offer."

While the concierge called him a cab, they sat in the lobby and talked. She wasn't sure what she was feeling for the warrant officer, but she liked him like this – relaxed, sociable, and not watching her every move like she was going to screw up. She leaned against him and sighed, content. This is what she had been missing – male companionship. Not like she didn't have it in spades on the base, but just being able to hang out, to have an intelligent conversation that didn't center around work, made for a great time.

She rubbed his arm and sighed again, happy. "Thanks for tonight. I'm really glad we ran into each other. It was fun," she smiled.

He smiled back at her. He had learned a lot about her in a short amount of time, and had really enjoyed the evening. He didn't want it to end, but not sure he wanted to take the next step. For right now, being friends was enough.

She looked up at him. "So, does this mean we'll actually be able to talk to each other without growling on base, or is this just a one-night kind of thing?" she teased.

Flint studied her. "Well, it's all in what you make it, I suppose," he said slowly. "I'd like to think we're at least friends now."

His cab arrived and he reluctantly got up from the comfortable couch where they had been sitting. "I'll see you back at the base?"

She smiled, getting up as well. On impulse, she leaned up and brushed her lips to his. The spark that passed between them made them both take a step back. Her face flushed pink, but she gave him an awkward smile and squeezed his hand. "I'll see you then," she managed.


	5. Chapter 5

What the hell was that? Jaye wondered as she went back to her room, touching her lips. Not a good idea, Ali, she told herself. That is one of your commanding officers. You know better, don't even let your thoughts go there!

Flint was having similar thoughts on his cab ride home. He had really enjoyed Ali's company and whatever had happened during that brief kiss – he would have to put it from his mind.

As Jaye reached her room, she sensed something was amiss. Great, she sighed. This is supposed to be a vacation, she thought. What now?

Cautiously, she entered her room and flipped on the lights, tense, ready for anything. The figure sitting in the chair in her room had her gasp, but she quickly covered it.

"What are you doing here?" she hissed, closing the door. "What if we were seen together? I can't imagine it would bode well for either one of us," she spat out in Gaelic.

Destro rose from the chair. "My dear niece," he spoke in the same language, "surely you can't greet your uncle with a hug?" he asked sarcastically.

"Again, what do you want? Why are you here and how did you find me?"

He dismissed her questions with a wave of his hand. "Do you not think I can't find you when I need or want to? I would like to talk a little business with you. Mainly, your stock in MARS Industries."

Jaye stared at him in shock. What had been a great evening was going downhill fast. "What?"

Destro smiled at her reaction. "Yes, we are prepared to buy you out so that we can gain total control of the company."

"By _we_, you mean Cobra? I've noticed you are more than just a distributor – you are actually working with the madman! Why, uncle? Surely we have not fallen on that hard of a time!"

"Don't try to process what you will not understand. Only know that if you do not sell to me, I will make sure your precious Joe team knows all about your affiliation with MARS and Cobra. Your past will be revealed to them that you tried so desperately to hide. If you don't believe me, then maybe you will believe your former partner!"

Jaye slitted her eyes at him. "OUT!" she demanded. "I refuse to sell, and you and Michael can do what you want…it's not going to matter! I refuse to let Cobra take full possession of my family's legacy!"

Destro chuckled. "You underestimate me, dear. Very well. I accept your challenge!" He swept out of her room.

Jaye felt like throwing something at his back, but restrained herself. What was she going to do? She knew her uncle – if he threatened something, he always followed through. The best thing to do was to come clean with Duke, so he knew her full history. Their founder and her sponsor, General Abernathy, codenamed "Hawk", knew of her associations, but he was the only who did. If Destro did something to pin her as a traitor, it would be his word and hers against her whole team. She had done too much to lose the trust her team had in her. Whatever friendship she had growing with Flint would be destroyed as well. The man saw too much in black and white, and too much of her past was in that gray area he detested.

Sighing, she picked up her cell phone and called the emergency number she had been given by General Abernathy. He had to know what was going on.


	6. Chapter 6

Jaye managed to force herself to get a few hours sleep before she was to meet the General on the base. He had set up a meeting with herself, Duke and Flint. She had also requested Scarlett be present.

Driving back to the base, she tried to settle her nerves and enjoy the feel of the bike under her. She knew that this meeting could make or break her career in GI Joe. While she knew she could always go back to MI-6 – they were well aware of her background, and would use it to their advantage – she felt in a way that it would be the equivalent of returning home with her tail tucked between her legs. No, best to be proactive at this point, she told herself. Who knew what Destro had in mind!

She greeted her teammates as she covered her bike under its tarp and made her way back to her room to drop her things and change back into her BDUs. The apartment was empty. Jaye looked at herself in the mirror, giving herself a silent pep talk. She had proven herself to her team. They would understand and acknowledge her loyalty. Whatever Destro had in store, they'd face it united. At least, she hoped they would. She knew she had General Abernathy's support. He wouldn't have recruited her otherwise.

Making her way to the conference room, she smiled and exchanged pleasantries with those she met along the way. Inside, she was nervous, but maintained a calm demeanor outside. In times like these, her training as an actress really paid off.

Entering the room, she found everyone assembled but the General. Frowning, she took her seat next to Scarlett, who looked at her questioningly. "What's this about?" her friend whispered to her. "I got a call in the middle of the night to assemble this morning! Apparently, Hawk called the meeting, so it's got to pretty important. Look how tense both Duke and Flint are!" she said, nodding at the two men on the opposite side of the table who were deep in discussion. Flint looked up and nodded at Jaye, a small smile on his face.

Scarlett of course noticed right away. "Ok, after this," she murmured, "you're going to tell me what _that_ was about! I thought you two couldn't stand one another!"

At that moment, the General entered and all talking ceased. He closed the door and started the meeting by saying, "I don't have to remind you that anything said in this room this morning is highly confidential. We are talking a matter of national security here," he reminded the assembled group.

Everyone sat up a little straighter, exchanging glances. Jaye looked at the General questioningly. He nodded to her and came over to her, placing his hands on her shoulders. "This is not my meeting to lead," he said softly to her.

Inwardly sighing, knowing all eyes were on her now, she got up and walked to the head of the table. The General seated himself on the opposite side of the table, watching her, nodding at her in support.

"I asked Hawk to call this meeting today. I had a visitor last night in my hotel room who threatened to disclose my past and paint me as a traitor to GI Joe." She had their undivided attention. Flint looked at her questioningly, his brow furrowed, trying to anticipate what she would say next, knowing that they had spent most of the evening together.

Jaye looked at each of the assembled in the room, giving each a smile. "First, let me start by saying I have loved working for GI Joe and becoming part of this team. I know that other than the General," she nodded in his direction, "not much is known about my background other than what has not been blackened out in my file. He had full disclosure and yet still asked me to join this group. For that, I appreciate his support and unwavering belief of my loyalty. I believe in what we're doing, that it's right and just. Otherwise, I would not have joined."

She bit her lip, but forced herself to stop. She couldn't stand still, so she began to pace, all eyes following her every move and word. The atmosphere had become tense in the room, no one but two knowing what was going to be said next.

She turned and looked at each one – Duke, Flint, and Scarlett. "I asked you to be called here today so that my loyalty would not be questioned. Last night," she paused, gathering strength, "I was visited last night in my room by my uncle." She saw Flint visibly relax and wondered who he had thought had been in her room. She knew her next words wouldn't see him so relaxed. "My family's business, which has been around for hundreds of years, has its background in weapons development and warfare. Each member of my family has stock in the company. My uncle wanted me to sell my shares back to him so that he could take full ownership. My uncle…you would know him as Destro. The business is MARS Industries."

She could tell by their shocked faces that they fully understood her predicament. Not sure what to say next, she looked at Hawk for help. He stood and faced the group.

"I have known Lady Jaye's family for a number of years, even bouncing her on my knee when she was little," he said, giving her an affectionate look. "Know that this decision by MARS to align with Cobra was not something that her family approved. Her uncle, James McCullen, who we know as Destro, is the head of the clan and such, in charge of the family business. It was with much disapproval by the family that he began business with a known terrorist organization. It appears that MARS is now being taken over by Cobra."

He continued, glaring at those present. "Know that I had full disclosure of Lady Jaye's associations and background and I chose her to join the Joe team. I have absolutely no question of her loyalty. We all have family that we know take wrong paths. In no way does this affect Lady Jaye's performance both on and off missions." He walked over and placed his hands on her shoulders. "I support her 100%. Also know that she refused to sell out to her uncle, so that she will still listed as a stockholder of the company, and should something come out about that, we will stand by her 100%. Destro threatened as much when she refused to sell. I told her she did not have to come full disclosure with you, that I would stand by her, but she wanted you to know the truth."

He glared at all assembled, threatening them with his stare to contradict what he had to say.


	7. Chapter 7

Jaye closed her eyes, gathering strength again. "There's more," she said, opening her eyes and looking at her teammates. She could tell by their startled expressions that the news already had laid heavy on them and what more could she say?

"My long time partner with MI-6 also defected to Cobra. They had tried to recruit me as well, through him and my uncle, but I refused. I had already been asked, by that time to join GI Joe, and it just cemented my decision." She looked at Duke. "My partner was also asked to join, but had made his decision already. He was a good man who unfortunately was attracted by the promise of more money and less restrictions in the field. He was probably the best covert ops agent I worked with," she said sadly.

"So, now you have full disclosure. I asked that you three be made aware of the new threat Cobra has brought on us by my being here, being that Duke and Flint are my commanding officers and Scarlett, being our intell specialist…" She wasn't sure what to say next and let her words trail off.

Scarlett was the first to react. She got up and gave Lady Jaye a hug. "I believe in you, Ali, always have. It must have been hard to come in here and let us know all this. Harder still to keep it inside for so long!"

Duke nodded his agreement, but Flint looked thoughtful. Jaye was sure that whatever growing friendship they had formed the previous night was now lost. He didn't tolerate any "gray" area, and she seemed to be one big blob of it, she thought wryly.

The General looked at the group assembled. "Thank you Scarlett. Did anyone else have anything to add?" he asked, looking pointedly at Duke and Flint.

Duke looked at Flint, nodded, and stood up. "I think I speak for both of us when I say that this news in no way questions the loyalty that Lady Jaye possesses for GI Joe and our mission. While we know it was tough for her to come to us with this information, we are glad she did. It hopefully will give us a better understanding of our enemy." He turned towards Lady Jaye. "I would like you to work closely with Scarlett and let her know of anything she can use against MARS and Cobra." He walked over to her and gave her a pat on the back. "I realize it's been hard, but know that I have faith in you."

The General cleared his throat. "As I said before, what is said in this room stays here. If there is need to let the rest of the Joes know about Lady Jaye's past, then I will make the decision, is that understood?"

"Yes, sir!" they all agreed.

"In that case, we have work to do. Ali," he said, turning to Lady Jaye, "I think Duke has the right idea. I think you need to let Scarlett know everything that might help us against Cobra." He gave her a hug and whispered in her ear, "I'm proud of you. You did great."

She smiled at the General as he released her. "Thanks," she said softly, embarrassed.

"Well, let's get to work then, shall we?" gruffed the General, looking at those assembled. "Dismissed."

Scarlett grabbed Jaye's arm and led her from the room. "Come on, let's go get some coffee and get to work." Leaning over, she whispered in Jaye's ear, "Let's get the good kind and head back to the apartment. Duke didn't say _where_ we had to talk!"

Jaye glanced back at Flint and saw him talking to Duke, a serious expression on his face. He caught her glance and frowned. She looked away, disappointed. Apparently, they were back to where they were, except now he was more suspicious than ever about her. She sighed.


	8. Chapter 8

"Zartan?" Scarlett said, shocked. "I would have never guessed!" she said, looking at the photograph that Jaye had of herself and her old partner. "Look at your hair," she teased, sensing Jaye's sadness. "It's so long! Guess it's more practical now," she said, assessing her friend's short locks.

"I don't know why I held on to this. We took it when we were posing as a couple in the Riviera. The mission had completed and we were granted a little R&R. Just one of those tourist things," she said and shrugged. "From what he told me during our one encounter in Germany, he looks the way he does now because Cobra did some genetic experiment on him. It gives you some perspective, though," she said and sighed. "He always wanted more than what we could do, and now that he doesn't have any limits, it's hard to tell where he'll stop. There was always this drive with him….I don't know how to describe it. He was such a good guy, I just don't know what happened. We were going to open up our own agency, the two of us, when we had enough money…." she trailed off.

Scarlett looked at her. "Oh, honey," she said sympathetically, putting her arm around her friend. "You were in love with him, weren't you?"

Jaye smiled sadly. "Yes and no. He was my partner and we were really close, almost like husband and wife. Nothing happened," she said quickly, "but I guess it could have. We never let it get that far. However," she said, letting the photograph fall from her hands onto the bed they were sitting on, "it's not him anymore. The Mike that I worked with is dead." Her voice was flat, and she was fighting to keep her emotions in check.

"As for my uncle," she continued, her voice growing bitter, "he also changed. I'm not sure what hold Cobra had over him, but it didn't seem hard for him to sell out my family. He's also a very dedicated, hard-nosed dictator when he wants to be. I remember an indulgent uncle from my childhood, not what he is today." She shrugged.

"Ok, I have to ask…the mask?" said Scarlett, trying to be gentle with her friend's feelings.

"An accident at the plant when I was a teenager. Most of his face was pretty badly burned and scarred, so they developed the mask for him, so that it fit him like a new face. It's solid and he can breathe and talk through it, but more practical than Darth Vadar's," she joked, trying to make light of the situation.

Scarlett hugged her friend. "I know this was hard for you to come forward with all this. I don't know how I would have lived with these secrets for so long! You are so much stronger than I am!"

Jaye laughed. "Whatever!" she said, quoting Cover Girl's expression whenever she was embarrassed.

"I'll go and type up my report and let you look at it before I turn it over to Duke, ok?" said Scarlett gently. "That way, in case I miss something, or get something wrong, you can let me know."

Scarlett got up to leave, then paused at the doorway. "Oh, and we're going to have to talk about this Flint thing. I saw his face when you walked in the room today. You are so going to spill, girlfriend!" she threatened.

Jaye gave a bitter laugh. "Didn't you notice his expression after the meeting? I don't think there's anything at all to talk about."

Scarlett echoed her "whatever!" and left the apartment to go to her office.

Jaye sighed and looked at the photograph on the bed. Picking it up, she paused over the trashcan with it. Should she just throw it away and move on with her life? Shaking her head and calling herself a fool, she put it back in the bottom of her dresser drawer and shut it.


End file.
